EXTENT OF THE GENERAL CONFLAGRATION 



63 



and several of the planets ; and therefore, those 

 more distant orbs, to which I allude, cannot be 

 supposed to be involved in the physical evils 

 which the fall of man has introduced into our 

 world; or to have the least connexion with any 

 future change or catastrophe that may befall the 

 terraqueous globe. Though this globe, and &quot; all 

 that it inherits,&quot; were dissolved ; yea, although the 

 sun himself and his surrounding planets were set 

 in a blaze, and blotted for ever out of creation ; 

 the innumerable and vast bodies which replenish 

 the distant regions of the universe, would still 

 exist, and continue to illuminate the voids of 

 creation with undiminished splendour. 



EXTENT OF THE GENERAL CONFLAGRATION. 



From the considerations now stated, it is evi 

 dent, that the changes which are predicted to 

 take place at the general conflagration, will not 

 extend beyond, the environs of our globe, or at 

 farthest, beyond the limits of the solar system. 

 There is, indeed, no reason to conclude, that 

 they will extend beyond the terraqueous globe it 

 self and -its surrounding atmosphere ; for since 

 all the revelations of Scripture have a peculiar 

 reference to the inhabitants of this globe, the 

 predicted changes which are to take place in its 

 physical constitution, at the close of the present 

 economy of Providence, must be considered as 

 limited to the same sphere. As the world was 

 formerly destroyed by a deluge of waters, in 

 consequence of the depravity of man, so its de 

 struction by fire will take place, for the same 

 reason, in order that it may be purified from all 

 the effects of the curse which was originally pro 

 nounced upon the ground for man s sake, and 

 restored to its former order and beauty. But 

 there is not the smallest reason to conclude, 

 either from Scripture or the general constitution 

 of the universe, that this destruction will extend 

 beyond that part of the frame of nature which 

 was subjected to the curse, and is physically 

 connected with the sin of man ; and consequently, 

 will be entirely confined to certain changes which 

 will be effected throughout the continents, islands, 

 and oceans, and in the higher and lower regions 

 of the atmosphere. 



This appears to be the sense in which tne 

 most judicious expositors of Scripture interpret 

 those passages which have a particular reference 

 to this event. Dr. Guyse, in his &quot;Paraphrase 

 on the New Testament,&quot; interprets 2 Peter iii. 

 7, 12, precisely in this sense : When that final 

 decisive day of the Lord Jesus shall come, the 

 aerial heavens, being all in a flame, shall be de 

 stroyed, and the constituent principles of the 

 atmosphere, together with the earth and all things 

 in it, shall be melted down by an intense dissolv 

 ing heat into a confused chaos, like that out of 

 which they were originally formed.&quot; And in a 

 note on this paraphrase he remarks. &quot;By the 

 17 



heavens is meant here the aerial heavens. For 

 the heavens and the earth ar here spoken of 

 in opposition to those of the old world, which 

 could mean nothing more than the earth and its 

 former atmosphere, the state of which underwent 

 a great alteration by the flood.&quot; &quot; By the /ica- 

 vens and the earth, in such passages as these,&quot; 

 says the learned Dr. Mede, &quot; is to be understood, 

 that part of nature which was subjected to the 

 curse, or that is inhabited by Christ s enemies, 

 and includes in it the earth, water, and air, but 

 not the heavenly bodies, which are not only at a 

 vast distance from it, but it is little more than a 

 point, if compared to them for magnitude.&quot; 

 Dr. Dwight, when .adverting to this subject, ex 

 presses the same sentiment: &quot; The phrase hea 

 vens and earth (says he) in Jewish phraseology 

 denoted the universe. In the present case, 

 however, (2 Peter iii. 10, 12, 13.) the words 

 appear to be used with a meaning less extended, 

 where it is declared, that that which is intended 

 by both terms, shall be consumed, dissolved, and 

 pass away. This astonishing event, we are 

 taught, shall take place at the final judgment ; 

 and we have no hint in the Scriptures, that the 

 judgment will involve any other beings besides 

 angels and men.&quot; 



From the preceding considerations, it is obvi 

 ous, that when the inspired writers use such 

 expressions as these, &quot; The stars shall fall from 

 heaven,&quot; &quot;the powers of heaven shall be shaken,&quot; 

 and, &quot; the heaven departed as a scroll,&quot; they are 

 to be understood not in a literal, but in a figura 

 tive sense, as denoting changes, convulsions, and 

 revolutions in the moral world. And when, in 

 reference to the dissolution of our globe and its 

 appendages, it is said, that &quot; the heavens shall 

 pass away with a mighty noise,&quot; the aerial heaven, 

 or the surrounding atmosphere is to be understood. 

 How this appendage to our world may be dis 

 solved, or pass away with a mighty noise, it is not 

 difficult to conceive, now that we have become 

 acquainted with the nature and energies of its 

 constituent parts. One essential part of the at 

 mosphere contains the principle of flame ; and if 

 this principle were not counteracted by its con 

 nexion with another ingredient, or were it let 

 loose to exert its energies without control, instantly 

 one immense flame would envelope the terraque 

 ous globe, which would set on fire the founda 

 tions of the mountains, wrap the ocean in a 

 blaze, and dissolve, not only coals, wood, and 

 other combustibles, but (he hardest substances in 

 nature. It is more than probable, that when the 

 last catastrophe of our globe arrives, the oxygen 

 and nitrogen, or the two constituent principles ol 

 the atmosphere, will be separated by the inter 

 position of Almighty power. And the moment 

 this separation takes place, it is easy to conceive, 

 that a tremendous concussion will ensue, and the 

 most dreadful explosions will resound throughout 

 the whole of the expanse which surrounds the 



